How a jar tells us to simplify our life

Have you heard the story about how to capture a monkey?
High in the mountain in a small village, a wise man devised a simple solution to catch a monkey: a jar with a fat bottom and a narrow opening.

How does it work? Put an juicy orange or some peanuts at the bottom of the jar, and wait. The monkey will come, attracted by the smell of food. As he grabs into the jar, his closed hand with the food remains trapped inside the jar, unaware of his embarrassing situation until the end of the day.

Simple zen story and a bit of a fairy tale, isn’t it? Literary yes, so what about our world dictated by “busyness”, power and money. Aren’t we the prisoners of our life with our hands stucked in the jar of materialism, monthly expenses & house credit? Unaware of our situation until the dawn of our life?

According to the Happiness Score, only 28% of 2,100 respondents actually believed that they spend enough time doing what they are most passionate about. What is your score?

How do we free ourselves? By letting go of unnecessary burden and refocusing our life on meaningful goals.
This sounds nice, should I quit my job and stop paying my mortgage? Certainly not, but consider the following:

1. Simplify your life, donate what you have not been using for years, this is more space in your life and will make people in need happier.

2. Take a small bag, leave all your “stuff” behind and go out on vacation. Discover the world with the people close to you, you will discover them as well.

3. Live your dream, find out what your passions are, this is often what you loved doing as a kid. Become an expert of it and share your passion.

Thoughts, feedback? What is your personal experience?
Does it work for you?